Everything Old Is New Again. At least that is what the old song says.

Honestly, however, I do see those <cough> reruns of ideas gussied up to be presented as Brand New. The reboot that is advertised as something totally brand new.

Advertisers have made a point of telling the consumer a lot of things that might, or might not, be actually true but the goal isn’t honesty, the goal is to get the consumer to consume. Think Fast Fashion. Fast food. Convenience foods.

I don’t know about you but I have noticed a trend from the clinical monocolor environment (think grey walls, neutral furnishing colors, ‘modern’ looks) to something more in line with Granny homes, mid century modern, bright colors and patterns. While I have no objection to the first my preference is more toward the latter. Color and texture give my eye something to look at. Design adds a touch of warmth in ways that isn’t easy to explain (for me at least). Over all, it gives me something to be interested in rather than existing in.

Real Vintage Dolls House recently posted a topic that I found interesting and inspiring.

Besides being practical and budget worthy, these thoughts provide some creativity. On the one hand, for example, it might be less expensive to dive into the nearest shops and spend less money than making things ourselves, how long will those items last? What we we do with them when they’ve outlived their life expectancy? For a little more considered cost and our time, we can create things that will more than likely have a longer use time while creating the environment that makes us happy. Said environment could be your home and your closet.

Granted many of those skills are not always part of the current standard education in schools – and I would argue they should be – they can be learned in a variety of ways.

Self reliance, self dependence, skill sharing were things our parents and grand parents knew all too well because they were the currency of the day. People worked together, helped each other, shared the load when they could but when they couldn’t, they could depend upon themselves.

Everything old is new once again.

Food for thought.

And, yes, I am going to be checking out Fogpoint radio. Details are in the description of the video…

August started out not quite the way I anticipated. Which could be good, by the way. I won’t really know for a few days yet.

My Summer Binge began in July and has extended itself into August. I have to admit I am enjoying myself but the truth is that the unexpected effects are a bit startling. Lack of sleep. Upended schedule. Gratitude that I don’t have a regular job – being retired has been a blessing because I am no longer at the age when what I’ve been doing won’t impact my regular 9 to 5 job. Who would’ve thought?

In the meantime I have been clearing out my Watch List as well as my Want List. I’ve also been doing a deep dive into Sherlock Holmes via Stephen Fry’s wonderful audio collection. The stories are just as wonderful but now I know them much better. A new Lady Sherlock book will be out this month and I am so looking forward to it!

So far, so good…

I grew up using paper maps. Yeah, I know, very Old School. But a map is one of those magical tools that invites you to explore. My dad always had the latest Rand McNally atlas in the house and we would spend hours following the interstate highways seeing where they went and what we could find to visit as we drove through.

When I moved to Los Angeles, one of the first things I did was get my very own copy of the Thomas Guide. It was an atlas of the Los Angeles and Orange Counties. A wealth of information, a valuable tool, a reliable resource.

Thomas Guides were the one thing you needed to have in your vehicle. With that guide you could go anywhere in the area and get home on your own.

Now I know lots of folks swear by GPS systems but I have had far too many instances (my own and other folks) where that system failed. In my own case one will lead you to my door while another will take you on a wild goose chase. And that is when they are working. We all know the Internet never, ever goes down and there is service everywhere, right? /s Paper maps can be the one tool you need to make sure you get home.

Old school tools can often still be reliable even when it might be ‘easier’ to use a GPS. And you can spend hours browsing, planning, dreaming your next adventure.

Speaking of Old School Tools, AllRecipes recently did a piece on Route 66. It is a wonderful read, but I particularly liked Samantha Brown’s comment about actually finding Route 66. Click HERE to read more.

Happy Adventuring!

There is something special – magical – about a house that is truly a home and not a place keeper for the next occupant. I don’t know about you but I am past tired of the mentality of decorating a home just to entice the next owner. When you realize that almost every new owner rips out everything the prior owner did to put their own mark on the place you really have to wonder… At least I hope you do.

Shelby’s Cottage is one of those rare YouTube channels devoted to making her (their) house a home. Their home. Colors, decor, window treatments, and all the other odds and ends that make a house a home.

They recently completed the addition of a breakfast nook and I have to tell you I love it! Check it out:

Comfortable seating. Pleasant lighting. Useful and attractive window treatments. This one has everything including accommodating the cats.

I also appreciate that it is a well thought out space. Every inch has been considered. It is a fully functioning space.

Wish I had room in my home for one!

If you have been around here for any length of time you will know that Sunday mornings are my anticipated adventures in arm chair traveling with Mr. Carrington. Iwan takes us on all sorts of excursions and introduces us to lots of things. One of those ‘things’ is the artist Beryl Cook. Check out his recent Escape to Plymouth:

I have to admit I find Cook’s work entertaining on many levels. I love her use of color and the unique way she creates her people. That touch of humor and whimsy mixed with truth is refreshing. I get the feeling that buried in each work is a mischievous elf sharing some magic.

You might find THIS article from the BBC of interest, too. There is something radical about painting people who are living their true lives and not being afraid to add a touch of sauciness, too. For more background check out THIS article from 2014.

Enjoy!

Around my neck of the woods, Memorial Day signals the end of school and the beginning of Summer. Unless, of course, we have had an exceptionally bad Winter where kids were out of school due to weather more than usual.

As I browse the telly today I see a lot of commercials for all sorts of Long Weekend Projects – if the weather is good, it might be a good time to paint – and a lot (!) of cookery shows focusing on grilling and / or barb-e-queing.

Today, however, has been cool and damp and threatening more thunderstorms. Somehow I think there won’t be a rush to putter in the garden let along tackle that big painting project. LOL!

Here’s hoping your Memorial Day Weekend has been a good one!

One of the most prevalent topics I’ve seen lately is along the lines of Protecting My Peace. Finding calm. Recharging my own batteries. I suspect most of us are in that same boat, overwhelmed by what is in the news on an hourly, if not daily, cycle. There comes a point when my sanity is far more important than finding out who is having another tantrum and how things (that I have no control over) are falling apart.

Sound familiar?

I’ve started looking for ways to enjoy music that is calming and relaxing. That could be playlists I’ve developed for finding new ones – much to my amazement there seems to be a lot of them on a variety of platforms.

I am also in that dreaded ‘in between’ space where my authors have not yet published, so I am looking to find new authors to read/listen to.

In the past few years I have endeavored to use the good dishes, etc. I think this is important because waiting for some ‘special occasion’ could mean those wonderful treasures might never be used at all.

Which reminds me, if you find yourself wanting treasures, don’t forget to check out your local second hand, antique, or charity shops. You might be amazed to see what they have on hand.

One Man’s Trash Is Another Man’s Treasure.

Speaking of such shops, if you find yourself overwhelmed by the ‘stuff’ in your home, why not embark on a clear out program? Choose a room, a spot, a drawer, a closet and start clearing out the things that you no longer use, don’t want, don’t need. I don’t endorse a radical major clear out but a methodical purge. As we are heading into the end of school term now might be the opportune moment to get rid of things that no longer fit are no longer used, etc. Make it a summer project.

Meal planning could be a place where more organization and control would reduce, if not eliminate, stress. Farmer’s Markets will be gearing up so fresh fruits and veg will be available. Prime opportunities to try new recipes and explore new things. Cheaper, too.

I’m looking around and seeing opportunities to return to hobbies that got lost in the shuffle. These were one of those ‘I’ll get around to it later.’ things that might just be exactly what is needed.

Take a deep breath. Turn off the noise. Take it one step at a time.

😀

For many of us folks, Sunday Nights were when we watched Wonderful World of Disney*. This Disney staple was a rotating anthology series that gave us insight into all sorts of wonderful things while showcasing the Disney Studio expertise. You might still be able to find some over on YouTube.

Saturday night has become my favorite time of the week because Dennis over at West of Neverland (YouTube) brings us stories about the Disney classics providing context, history and insight. While most are under 20 minutes long, the weekly videos are interesting, thought provoking, memory jogging and enjoyable. In its way, West of Neverland is the modern equivalent of the Wonderful World of Disney.

I’m looking forward to doing a deep dive to see what is in the playlists and discover more about the podcast.

*The name changed a bit when color TV became more of a thing in the 60s.

There will be some renovation going on here. I don’t have a set time frame but plan on having the majority completed by the end of the month.

Thank you for visiting, commenting, liking, and sticking around. You have no idea how much it means. Really.